Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 23, 2026

Assessment of Age-related Changes in Cognitive Functions Using EmoCogMeter, a Novel Tablet-computer Based Approach
Published on: February 14, 2014
Explaining age differences in women's emotional well-being: The role of subjective experiences of aging
Anne E Barrett1, Erica L Toothman2
1a Department of Sociology , Florida State University , Tallahassee , Florida , USA.
Abstract:
Our study examines explanations for the "paradox" of older women's better emotional well-being compared with younger women. We consider the role of subjective experiences of aging in a society that devalues older women. Using a sample of women (n = 872) from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (1995-1996 and 2004-2006), we examine the role of five components of the subjective experience of aging in explaining older women's better emotional well-being compared with younger women: age identity, conceptions of the timing of middle age, aging attitudes, aging anxieties, and self-assessed physiological changes. We find that, compared with women 50-54 years old, those 35-39 years old report lower positive affect, and those 25-49 report higher negative affect. These patterns are partially explained by younger women's greater anxiety about declines in health and attractiveness and older women's more youthful identities. Our study underscores the value of considering the implications of our ageist and sexist society for women's emotional well-being across adulthood.
More Related Videos
07:40Validation of a Psychosocial Intervention on Body Image in Older People: An Experimental Design
Published on: May 31, 2021
07:32Use of Galvanic Skin Responses, Salivary Biomarkers, and Self-reports to Assess Undergraduate Student Performance During a Laboratory Exam Activity
Published on: February 10, 2016
Related Concept Videos
Socioemotional Experience and Gender Development
Menopause
Emotional Expression
Universal Facial Expressions
Psychologist Paul Ekman identified seven basic...
Socioemotional Development during Infancy
Primary Temperament Types
Social Relationships and Well-Being
Self-Discrepancy and Its Effects